Difficult Decisions – What We’ve Learned

Making difficult decisions is no easy task, and these days it seems like we are confronted with them more than ever before. This past summer, Shibley decided to postpone traditional full day  camp and instead ran a half day program called Shibley Lite. It’s been a little over 2 months since our Shibley Lite program ended and here are my takeaways from Summer 2020:

• Less turned out to be more this summer
• Our staff rose to the challenge
• Unlikely friendships were forged
• Children NEED camp
• We cannot be complacent
• When you have your health….you have it all (This is something I’ve always known but bares repeating)

And while the summer is long gone, all of us continue to contemplate and maneuver a new lifestyle through these challenging times.  We grapple over what we feel is best for ourselves and our loved ones.

DECISIONS  DECISIONS  DECISIONS

We hope we can make great decisions, hard decisions, the “right” decisions.  Sometimes it’s a matter of breaking things down to the core and asking yourself questions that can help you find the answer…the decision that works best for you.

I, like many of you spend a lot of time watching TV these days.  I cannot believe I am seeing commercials for holiday shopping!!!!! Thanksgiving is around the corner and the December holidays follow.  So what does Thanksgiving look like for all of us this year? More decisions to ponder over and come up with. What is best for our families and what feels right for now?

I have some suggestions on how to approach making difficult decisions.  I also decided to reach out to family and friends and collect their thoughts on what their process is.  Here are a few I would like to share for your consideration.

• Grab a pen and paper and jot down the pros and cons of the decision in question.
• Try to find sufficient time in making a decision-never decide in haste.
• Listen to your gut instincts!
• Reach out to friends and get thoughtful opinions.
• Reach out to elders.
• Take a good look at your options.
• In making a difficult decision ask yourself “What’s the worst thing that can happen,” how likely is that to occur, and can you live with it?”
• Some people suggest going with your first instinct. Second guessing yourself gets sticky and can lead to flip flopping your decision.
• Think about the consequences of your course of actions.
• Imagine making a decision-if you feel relief, it’s the way to go even if there is sadness.

My favorite go to when I am making a difficult decision is, has been, and always will be:

Can I look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day and feel good about what I see?

And finally, on a lighter note, it was just so wonderful seeing so many camper families this past weekend join us for our Halloween Hunt.  We loved the costumes and enthusiasm both children and parents displayed on Saturday.  Our staff once again rose to the occasion, and joined the festivities during this off-season event.  They are so dedicated to Shibley and our camper families and we are so fortunate to have them-they truly are the backbone of our program.

As always, stay safe, be well, and I hope the holiday season approaching brings you joy and happiness.  You all deserve that and more!!!!